Thursday, November 26, 2015

Most of the world hasn’t
heard of Thanksgiving as a holiday and the origins and reasons thereof have
been called into question. Nevertheless it is one of those celebrations that
remain in the lives and hearts of anyone born in the USA or even those who have
spent time there.

If I were to sit down and write
a list of all the things that I am thankful for, I could easily spend the
entire day. That the sun came up this morning and I am alive to see it is
already major.

But there are two things
without which all the material goods in the world or even health would have no
meaning: family and friends.

They are what gives life its
meaning – whether you are up or down, in good health or ill, poor or rich,
without family and friends with whom to share, it would be a very sad and
deprived life.

I have been overly blessed
(well not really, I keep adding to the friends) to not only have friends from
my youth, from my high school days, less from my university ones as I moved a
lot, from my return to Switzerland, from after my husband’s death (now that is
a weird feeling : to be good friends with persons who have not known your
spouse), from recently and I have no doubts that there will be more in the
future. I have a large family of cousins on both sides of my parent’s families,
I have my sons.

I am blessed: I will be
giving thanks as I sit at the table tonight with a portion of those family and
friends.

Wednesday, November 25, 2015

This morning when I pulled out my calendar I realized that today was one
of those very rare days where I had absolutely nothing planned : not a
coffee, not a lunch, no medical apointments, no house repair either. Wow – a
whole day to do whatever I wanted – or « needed » as there is no lack
of tasks that, although not dated, certainly need doing.

First luxury – taking longer over coffee.

Then since I had been lazy (it was raining) and taken the car up to get
my mail, I decided to go post my registered letter down at the main post office
and check out the grocery store whilst I was there (I did need fresh flowers).
My male readers can stop here as only a women will understand how my morning
then proceeded. Letter duly mailed (and having been talked into a lottery
ticket for tonight – our post offices sell just about everything) entered the
grocery store. First thing some sour cream for the baked potato that I was able
to obtain from our favorite restaurant (to my regret, I had not ordered the
daily menu, as on my way out I noticed that it had been accompanied by a baked
potato – a real rarety in our restaurants – had run into the chef and
mentionned my « mistake ». Now this shouldn’t get out, but he went
right back and brought me one in a plastic sack, so when you see someone with a
bag it doesn’t necessarily hide alcohol !). And I am yet again several
lines off track : second item some baking supplies as it entered my head
that on a dreary day like today baking Christmas cookies might be an option.
Thirdly that led to the cat food aisle (you really doon’t want to know), on
back of which are brooms, sacks, etc. and threshold carpets, which reminded me
that I had promised my younger son one so chose the one that I thought would
best fit his decor and finally checked out.But then I needed fresh flowers – another deviation.

Back at the car I continued along the same lines : hmmmmm… halfway
to town, mid-morning so no traffic, I might as well drop the rug over at S’s
flat (still had the keys in the car from all the past weeks deliveries).

On the way I realized that I wasn’t far from the main flea market and
that it was Wednesday. Weather was gray and I was looking at the sky when I realized there were buildings with sayings or whatever on them. Not a clue as to why but interesting.

"L'odrre n'a pas d'ipmroincae" or Order is not important

"Yes to all" what?

Sunday - and so what?

Christmas Circus

loved the juxtaposition of eyes, church bell tower and top of the circus tent.

You see the pattern : needless to say it was past noon by the time I
returned home to eat my baked potato and think what next to do with all this
freedom.

Thursday, November 19, 2015

Some people think that their
lives are boring or seem to be always the same, but if one really thinks about
it one begins to notice the small variations in even the most calm of lives.

Given the terrorism, the
accidents, the diseases and other negative events that impact us, it’s just
another day might be a good thing if by that we mean calm, ordered, the same.

But again, it is never « just
another day ». Every time the moon goes down, it is in a slightly
different position, the weather is a degree different, our ability to actually
not only see it, but to experience that sight changes with our availability and
moods.

Moon Nov.18

Every time the sun comes up,
it’s also in a different place, under different atmospheric conditions, seen or
not at a different time from the preceeding day.

Sunrise Nov. 18

Sunrise Nov. 19

Both experiences are never
the same: what a wonderful world – « it’s just another day » becomes
a privilege instead of a banality.

Tuesday, November 17, 2015

Early on, books were big
with me and it is amusing to note that in spite of their father’s and my
dispair whilst they were growing up that they didn’t read like we did, as
adults my sons also collect books.

Then there were the stamp
collections – reinforced after I moved to Europe to study as I could pick up
the American ones cheap here (no one seemed interested) and the Swiss ones
cheap in California (again what was too far away was deemed of little value,
never mind that Swiss stamps still cost a lot). I ceased buying the year’s
collection for each son some while back but still probably have a fortune sitting
around in various places throughout the house.

My aunt collected rocks –
and I find that I tend to bring back granite from the mountains, an interesting
stone from here or there; a sand dollar from the beach (legend has it that if
you find a sand dollar on the beach and take it home, you will return to the
spot – I stopped collecting them on my little sister’s beach when she died). I
took some of my aunt’s polished rocks (when we collect, we do it right !)
with me after she passed away : my little sister also and when she in turn
died imagine my delight to discover amongst her belongings one bag of rocks
labelled for my sons – perhaps this is partially what keeps me grounded.

I don’t personally collect
coffee cream covers, but the Swiss do and one of the latest collections was
just too pretty so I gathered them up and took photos – this is perhaps why the
Swiss collect them – they are works of art.

Sunday, November 15, 2015

Just as most people are good
there is still beauty in the world: often after sad events be they national or
personal one tends to want to be outside, to somehow reassure oneself that
nature still exists, that some things can’t be changed quite so easily.

Fortunately it was another
in an exceptionally long line of lovely fall days here.

So the first walk I took out
by the natural preserve looking towards the alps.

Mont Blanc was hiding

a couple of leaves still refuse to change colors

Sign on both side of the woods below: private but authorized for hikers and friends of nature.

The woods

Inside the woods

unusual berries

never seen the like

A manor house with a still growing field

out the other end of the woods, Mont Blanc still in hiding

a few of the very rare red leaves still on the vine

one of the cannels of the natural preserve

A gray heron

The second shorter one was
simply up to the village for coffee and back down through the vineyards.

Saturday, November 14, 2015

Endorra in
“Bewitched” – about the dancing bear: “I don’t know where you learned to be so
cruel, it must be the mortal influence”.

As was the case after “Charlie Hebdo” everyone is coming out
with the blame, the “we must”, the “let’s close the borders”, the need to
attribute a reason to what was done. As I learned with my first bout of cancer,
if someone else can figure out that you did something (that they didn’t do) or
didn’t do something (that you should have done and that they do) you become
responsible for your cancer and alleviate them from having to worry about the
same fate befalling them.

Sometimes the
only reason is hate.

And this is something
we humans seem to find all too easy.

I won’t
be changing my profile picture – unless I can figure out some way of
superimposing a globe on it – as there are many, many, many more such incidents
taking place every day especially in the Middle East, in Afghanistan, in
Africa. But, oh I forgot, those are in far away places, places that we don’t
need to be concerned about as we don’t have friends or family living there
(o.k. some of us do have, but the vast majority of the Western world don’t);
places where we can ignore man’s inhumanity to man.

Do I find it
horrible: yes!

Do I wish that
it had never happened: equally.

But I am also
aware of all the other incidents throughout the world and feel that we would be
better off simply helping the neighbor, buying lunch for the beggar, talking to
the kid who seems to not fit in, listening to the youth who’s parents are drug
addicts, support the immigrant trying to get an education, and above all LOVING
and being gentle with all children: the case can be made that some people are
born evil (and I won’t disagree) but most terrorists were taught by their
surroundings, their experiences and their circumstances to become hateful: as
babies and toddlers they were not yet capable of those acts they knowingly and
willingly commit as adults.

Sunday, November 8, 2015

Seventy kilometers, a lot of
sweating as well as waiting in lines : it was gathering-up-the-bits,
puchasing the necessities, squeezing in the washes – in short the first day
that my younger son had « free » to concentrate on his move into the
new place. It included two trips to Ikea, one to the local DIY, a couple more
home (across town) and the end had him squeezed in the back of my polo with the
flat-pack cupboard (was rather glad that it was after dark as no cop would have
let me continue had he seen that !).

It’s amazing the amount of
items and the length of some that we have managed to get into my small Polo!

Whilst waiting in traffic

Another whilst waiting in traffic

flat pack and son

Now he moved out at the
beginning of October, but what with one thing and the other although he did get
started on the painting, working took a great share of his time, never mind the
camp when he was gone for the week : fortunately for him his older brother
was willing to let him live in his flat whilst he was gone and as they are in
the same building this made things possible that would yet to be done had that
not happened.

However, said brother
returns at the end of the week so it is imperative that he be out !

That was yesterday :
today was finish mounting the bed and perhaps put together one of the cupboards

that was bought during one
of the multiple store trips. We did take time for lunch, but there was a bit of
sweating and need for adjustments to the bed – the cupboard we didn’t even
start. However, it will all work out and his « zones » (it’s a large
studio) have been very well thought out and are wonderfully and creatively
painted.